Q:

If little or no symptoms appear, can my prostate cancer still be discovered?

A:

Yes, even if no symptoms arise from the development of prostate cancer, the disease can be detected through early screening tests by your doctor. In fact, it is not uncommon for prostate cancer to begin developing without causing any alarming symptoms. However, they can be found fairly easily by your doctor by utilizing one of the widely used prostate cancer diagnostic tests today. These include digital rectal exams (DREs) and the prostate-specific antigen blood test.

When few or no signs of the disease are apparent but prostate cancer is in fact present, it is often referred to as “silent” prostate cancer. However, due to advancements in early detection screening technology and increased awareness of the disease’s capabilities, prostate cancer is being diagnosed in its earliest stages more and more often. In fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 90 percent of all prostate cancer diagnoses are in the earliest stages.

Any cancer that has gotten to an advanced stage becomes more difficult to treat as the possibility increases of the disease spreading to other areas of the body. This is known as metastatic cancer.

The earlier a cancer is found, the more likely it is that the patient will receive a better prognosis.